The Kunsthandlung Julius Böhler published a catalogue to mark a recently discovered work by the German sculptor Leonhard Kern (1588 Forchtenberg am Kocher–1662 Schwäbisch-Hall). The alabaster sculpture ‘Hercules and Hippolyta’, 82 cm high, is the largest and most impressive sculpture by the artist carved in the round known to date. As such, it has a special place within his œuvre as a whole. Kern depicts a scene from the mythological Labours of Hercules – the theft of the girdle belonging to Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, whom the hero defeats in battle. The composition of the group of figures was modelled on ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’ by Giambologna that he created as a figura serpentinata in 1581/82 in Florence.
